


The Backend of Forever

by TzuChuuTrain



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angels and Demons, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25120870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TzuChuuTrain/pseuds/TzuChuuTrain
Summary: An angel and a demon share a campfire, weary from their travels across the dead universe.
Relationships: Park Jisoo | Jihyo/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	The Backend of Forever

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first entry for Once Creative Circle's Monthly Collab Project! This month's theme: Angels and Demons.
> 
> Check out more of OCC's works! twt: @ once_creativeph

  
  
  


# Act I: Across the Cosmos

  
  
  


"Deep breaths. Deep breaths. In. Out. Slowly. In. Out."

She kept whispering to herself over and over as her chest heaved heavily, eyes closed and one knee bent on the rough earth beneath her.

"Deep breaths, Jeong." She muttered to herself. She takes in a deep breath, and clutches her hands into fists, placing them on the ground. She releases her breath and squeezes her hands tight, bracing for what comes next.

The rust red earth beneath her feet shakes, and small bits of rock around her hands begin to float and tremble. She concentrates harder, clenching her fists tighter than she enjoyed, her eyes still shut tight as her breathing gets heavier and heavier with every exhale.

Taking flight is so difficult these days.

"Come on, Jeongyeon. You can do this." She says to herself. Standing up, she stretches her arms and legs, from the staying in the same position for what could've been hours, possibly days. Jeongyeon isn't sure anymore, time has been losing essence lately.

With another huff, Jeongyeon returns to her kneeling position, smacking the ground with her fists in frustration. She steadies her breathing, frantic heaving of her chest easing into a slow rhythm. This is not the time for frustration, Jeongyeon thinks. She'd never fly with a turmoil in her head. This time she kneels on both knees, and opens her fists to connect her palms together in front of her chest.

Jeongyeon prays.

"God of Light, Almighty Savior, please guide through these hollow times." Jeongyeon whispers, letting the empty wind of the barren world she's currently in carry her words into the sky. "Grant me strength, and patience, to once again traverse the cosmos. Lead me to Your Light, to Your loving embrace, back to You…"

She sighs as her stalwart prayer wavers for a brief moment, her voice slightly breaking from the sadness that has lingered in her. Her shoulders slump from the weight of the realization that she has been alone for a long, long time.

Jeongyeon's faith has rarely faltered in the past, but now it seems to be a recurring phenomenon. Sometimes she would feel foolish, Jeongyeon might even dare say she feels deluded, talking to her God at this hour. After all, her God died many eons ago.

But during times like these, it was faith that kept Jeongyeon going.

"There has to be a reason why I'm still here, Lord, so please show me why." She pleaded, wincing in pain of the memories flashing in her mind. Memories of her flight to the Heavens when all of them were suddenly called to arms, memories of the first wave of her brothers and sisters leading the charge in the Great War. Memories of the war they have lost.

She wasn’t supposed to feel rage bubbling in her system. She feels the seething, hot, embrace of wrath wringing her heart, but she pushes it down. It was against their nature and their teachings. She wasn’t supposed to feel vengeful, either. But she did, even if only for a moment. She feels angry, and she wants to unleash wrath and exact vengeance on those who let this catastrophe happen.

But her dark and violent feelings were fleeting, as Jeongyeon choked while she wept, her hands still clasped together, knees still bent on the earth. Her heart still yearning for peace.

The earth around her shakes lightly, her arms and legs trembling with a surge of energy flowing all over her entire body. She slams her fist on the ground with tremendous force. Like a prayer answered, Jeongyeon’s wings burst into full form, large white wings that glow a bright yellowish-white light that creates a rainbow colored halo behind her. With a new found resolve, Jeongyeon stands up, ready to take the next step.

“Show me the way, Lord.”

Jeongyeon leaps into the air with a force so strong it breaks the red earth beneath her, creating a massive crater in her wake. Her wings spread wide, shining bright and strong, taking her to the atmosphere at the speed of light. As she exits the dead planet's orbit, she flies away once again, traversing the galaxy with one resolute quest in mind.

She has to know why she's the only Angel left.

  
  
  


Travelling at speeds faster than light due to the immense momentum her wings have given her, Jeongyeon soars through the cosmos, passing by multitudes of solar systems filled with barren planets, empty rocks, and dead stars. It all looks too bleak for Jeongyeon’s heart to bear. Once upon a time, the universe was full of life, blooming and teeming with light and colors. It was beautiful, she thought, how vivid the universe was once, all manners of life in all corners of the galaxies made by the God of Light.

It’s all gone now. As she flies past another star system, navigating through a cold asteroid field, Jeongyeon can’t help but look at the dimly lit star. It is dead for sure, Jeongyeon thought, much like any other star she’s seen in her lonely travels; dead just like the rest of the universe. But weirdly enough, all the stars never turned into black holes. They all went supernova and destroyed nearby planets orbiting them, but that was it. After the explosions, they quieted down to a lull, slowly dragging their own fire out until the light in them never breathed ever again. It was sad, to say the least, that even the largest celestial bodies in the known universe died a slow, agonizing death because of the Great War.

The Great War.

The final battle between the Armies of Heaven and the Hordes of Hell that will define the end of the universe. Only two endings were written in the songs and prophecies; either Heaven wins and all of the innocent and those who fought alongside Heaven’s armies will join the God of Light in His kingdom above, granting everyone the boon of eternal life, or the Demon Hordes of Hell triumphs over Heaven, and the God of Destruction drags everything his wicked claws can take to eternal damnation in the fiery pits below. It was simple, really; it was either they win or the demons do.

But neither of them won. In the end, angels fell, demons burned, Heaven was desolate and Hell was reduced to ashes. What’s worse is that both the God of Light and God of Destruction died in the middle of it all.

None of them could’ve been prepared for the sheer magnitude of the calamity that brought ruin to everything they’ve known and held dear, much of which Jeongyeon is staring at with grieving eyes; the entire universe now dead and empty, both a cold corpse and a heavy coffin in one.

Jeongyeon continues her journey with weary wings and a mourning heart. The angel has lost track of time entirely during her flight. Jeongyeon feels the strain on her wings for flying for what felt like months or even years across the stars, looking for any glimmer of life in the cosmos, or at the very least, a clue on why she’s not dead yet. Under better circumstances, Jeongyeon’s wings could last indefinitely when used to fly long distances, but it’s been a long while since there have been better circumstances.

A couple more years into her travels, Jeongyeon feels her wings falter ever slightly. Not only that, her entire body seems to be drinking in the overall fatigue from travelling such a distance with much haste. It’s been a while since she’s gone this far, even with the occasional pit stops to a number of planets, Jeongyeon still couldn’t escape the strain her mind and body is feeling at the moment, exhaustion and drowsiness seeping in every inch of her body.

After all, it’s been too long since she functioned properly. She counts in her head. It’s been, what, one or two millennia since she’s actually done anything angel-like? She couldn’t even remember most of the hymns her brothers and sisters used to sing in the clouds. Now all she hears is silence. Deafening, sickening silence.

In the midst of her racking her brain lazily to think of any memory, Jeongyeon dozes off for a minute mid-flight and for a moment, she dreams. Jeongyeon dreams of her past, when everything was all right and good; she dreams of her home - the flying citadels of Heaven, beautifully carved marble with hallways filled with murals that tell the tales of the God of Light and how He created the universe, time, and everything in between. She remembers the pearly white gates, where they would welcome all of the souls that stayed true to the path the God of Light has set for them. It was beautiful. Then it turned tragic. She dreams of the fire that challenged her God; the Betrayer God of Destruction and his merciless Demon Hordes. She remembers the horn that called them all to battle. She remembers the battle that they lost. That they all lost.

Jeongyeon wakes up from her dream before it turns into a nightmare, and just in time, too, as she glides hard to her right to dodge an incoming asteroid. Unfortunately, the long flight took a toll on her, and her attempted maneuver is off-time, and she crashes into the space rock with full force. Jeongyeon is sent spinning out control, pain shooting up all over her body. She spirals in space, her eyes shut tight as she braces for more unexpected impact. Instead, she feels the pull of gravity as she spins into the orbit of a nearby planet. She gains speed, entering the dry atmosphere at such extreme velocity. The intensity of it all makes her dizzy, and before she could react, she falls onto the earth, knocking Jeongyeon out cold as her back hits the shattered ground.

  
  
  


# Act II: Tales in the Dead Earth

Jeongyeon flutters her eyes open, waking up with one of the worst body aches she’s ever had in her very long existence. She tilts her head down, looking at her body lying down on the cold earth beneath her, her head slightly elevated by a soft piece of rock acting as a pillow. She feels something warm on her left side, slightly soothing but it pricks on her skin. She moves her head around, searching for the source of whatever she’s feeling on her side. She turns to her left side, only to blink aggressively at the flickering light glaring right back at her.

_Wait. Light?_ Jeongyeon thought. Still in a daze, she squints her eyes to protect herself from the glare and at the same time get a better look at the light. It’s a bonfire, a little firelight dancing atop dry twigs and what looks like fossilized bone and crusty rocks. It’s situated at a reasonable distance, but Jeongyeon can’t feel but shiver at the way the light is making her skin crawl. As her head clears a bit, she realizes what that bonfire is made of. She recognizes the color of the bonfire, that vividly aggressive crimson red flames swirling like it could burn everything in its wake, and pitch black waves of smoke that could suffocate every living thing in the universe, slithering away into the black and blue sky. Jeongyeon could recognize that fire anywhere.

It’s Hellfire.

Jeongyeon perks up from the realization, her head now clear as day. As she attempts to stand, pain shoots up again all over her body, and she winces loudly, her eyes close shut. She hears scuffling from the far right side of the bonfire and before she knows it, she feels two hands on either of her arms, holding her gently back down.

“Woah, easy on yourself, there.” The feminine voice says. Jeongyeon opens her eyes to see a woman crouching over her, big round eyes looking at her in a gentle gaze, hands still on Jeongyeon’s arms. As the angel lies down again, eyes still not believing what she sees, the woman lets her go and backs up, a small smile on her small, round face.

“So.” The woman says. “You’re finally awake.”

The woman looks ordinary, albeit somewhat ragged, but Jeongyeon knows better. She’d recognize that kind of presence anywhere. Despite her soft features, her aura lingers like ash, her gaze has a spark similar to a volcanic lightning, and her entire presence feels hot like molten magma.

She is in the presence of a Demon.

Jeongyeon freezes in her spot, the lump in her throat seemingly impossible to swallow. With concerned eyes, she looks at the demon intently. Eyes scanning her grey suit, with a long patterned bow tie, and worn out pants that matched colors with her suit. Jeongyeon gauges the demon, looking at her blonde hair tied in a low ponytail, bangs hanging just above her eyebrows, and those soft brown eyes gazing right back at her. Jeongyeon tries to reassess her memories. How did she get here? And why is a demon here, doing what looks like taking care of her? How did a demon survive the Great War all this time? Why does her body hurt so much?

“You need a bit more rest.” The woman speaks up, her voice light but it carried a weight that made Jeongyeon listen. “The crash did a number on your body.”

Jeongyeon’s brain clicks. The crash. She remembers the asteroid that she hit and got pulled into this unknown planet’s gravity, passing out when she crash landed on the dry land. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words left her lips. Her mind frayed and frantic in analyzing what to do, because she is injured, and is at the mercy of a demon, her enemy.

“Sorry that soft rock is all I have.” The demon talks. “You’d think even in the damnedest ruins a bedfoam or at least a chair would survive. But, no. Nothing survives Armageddon, apparently. Not even furniture. So, yeah.” She swats a small piece of rock on the ground as she dusts her spot on a bigger rock. “Rest up and relax on that… rock.”

Jeongyeon does not reply, her jaw clenched, her senses heightened at the very presence of the demon in front of her.

“Calm down, angel.” The demon says nonchalantly, her eyes looking straight at hers. “I’m not gonna hurt you. If I wanted it, you’d be dead already.”

Jeongyeon feels panic at the demon’s sly smile, who then laughs lightly. “But here you are, so you’re safe.”

“Why would I trust a demon’s word?” Jeongyeon spat, finally having the energy to talk back. The demon scoffs amusedly. “Finally! She speaks! You got a name, angel?”

Jeongyeon closes her lips tight at the question. One of the many things you should never give a demon is your name. “I will not fall for your tricks, demon.”

“No tricks here, I’m just trying to start a conversation.” The woman shrugs her shoulders. “But since you’re being a tough nut, I’ll start.”

The demon stands up, with an airy “oomph” leaving her lips. She pats her suit and pants. “Hi. I’m Park Jihyo. Retired crossroads demon and currently a, uh, rock connoisseur.” She laughs and her brown eyes turn into little crescents, reflection of the bonfire’s light dancing in her eyes. It did something to Jeongyeon.

“Alright, your turn.” Jihyo says. Jeongyeon furrows her eyebrows in confusion. “What?”

“Your name, angel. I can’t keep calling you ‘angel’, it feels bland. Unless your name is actually Angel, then,” Jihyo laughs, “that would be a sick joke your God played on you.” Jeongyeon only gets more confused, dismissing the small jab at her Maker. Why does this demon want to know her name? The entire time Jeongyeon has been tense, but she hasn’t felt any harmful intent or dangerous aura coming from her. The intent in Jihyo’s question is clear. Jihyo just wanted Jeongyeon’s name. So the angel gulps and answers her question.

“It’s not actually Angel, is it?”

“Jeongyeon.” The angel says, her tense body loosen up with an exhale. “My name’s Yoo Jeongyeon.”

Jihyo raises her right eyebrow, followed quickly by an amused smile. “Well, hello there Jeongyeon. Nice to officially meet you. Our unofficial meeting was a couple of hours ago,” She points towards the empty space in the horizon, “when I dragged you out of the crater you made.”

Remembering the crash made Jeongyeon feel the pain in her body all over again. “Oh, man. That fall really did me good.”

“Yep.” Jihyo raises her hand again pointing at the sky in the opposite direction of where she was pointing the crater’s location. “You entered the atmosphere there, like a big-ass shooting star, then you zoomed right over my head and crashed there. Seriously, one of the loudest things I’ve ever heard in a while. Your fall shook the entire planet!” The demon laughs. Jeongyeon couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“You’re literally a fallen angel, Jeong.” Jihyo giggles, while Jeongyeon’s eyes widen at the nickname. The demon’s crescent eyes returned as she laughed, and the weird fuzzy feeling in Jeongyeon’s gut returned as well. She ignores it and asks Jihyo a question. “Where are we, exactly?”

The demon only responds with a raised eyebrow and a sly smirk, something Jeongyeon guessed to be her signature facial expression.

“I’m pretty sure even with this eternal night, you’d recognize that horizon.” She says softly. Jeongyeon looks at the skyline, colored dark blue and pitch black. And true enough, she recognizes the planet she crash landed on. How could she forget? This patch of dry soil used to be her God’s favorite garden; Earth.

  
  
  


A few days of rest, and the angel feels her body returning to full strength. Now, she’s just enjoying the serenity of the quiet around them. Despite the desolate setting and the still rigid fire in front of her, she appreciates the warmth and stillness of the moment, the warmth of the Hellfire and the howling wind around the two of them. Jeongyeon’s trance is broken as she hears a crack from the rock that Jihyo throws into the campfire. She couldn’t really guess if it was a bone or a rock, or a fusion of both; fossilized together and withered by time. She gazes upon the demon’s face and observes the soft features again. She unconsciously smiles when Jihyo smiles a little at the twig snapping at the rock she throws.

She looks upon the black and blue horizon and the angel and frowns, as she sees nothing but the same view she has always seen since the end began; dry, barren planets empty of life. Nothing but husks of what they were before. A bleak reminder of the Great War’s unexpected outcome.

“Hey.” Jeongyeon’s gaze is broken when she feels a pebble graze her leg. She looks at it for a second, then turns to Jihyo when she asks the angel a question. “Liking the fire?”

Jeongyeon grimaces at the question. “It prickles my skin.” She grumbles looking at the tiny fire in front of them. She loathes Hellfire, knowing how vicious it can be if used with dangerous intent. But Jeongyeon feels it’s weaker than the kind she’s used to, much like her own fire that’s diminished in the millennia she’s wandered alone. It’s warm and soft, even, but it tickles her into annoyance sometimes.

Jihyo smiles lightly. “Yeah, it does that. Don’t worry, though, it’ll mellow out in about,” She looks up, trying to estimate, “two days. Hellfire doesn’t last long anymore. It lasts like five days, a week tops. I don’t know, I’m not sure with my counting.” She laughs sadly.

Jeongyeon frowns at her companion. _So Hellfire is weakened as well?_ She looks down at her own open hands, thinking how her own fire has also turned miniscule in power. “You too, huh?” She looks back up at Jihyo’s question. “Tell me, Jeong, how long does Angelfire last these days?”

Angelfire. The bright fire gifted to angels as the guiding light to all their missions in the cosmos. It is what their halos and wings are made of. It is what they use when they answer prayers. It is what angels used as weapons in the Great War. “A week, at most.” She answers Jihyo as she snaps the fingers of her right hand, igniting it in a weak yet still bright fire of blue, white, and green. Jihyo forms a small ‘o’ with her mouth as she looks at Jeongyeon's hand in admiration. “Woah. I haven’t seen Angelfire in ages! Kinda missed it.”

“How long have you been flying, angel?” Jihyo asks coyly. Snapping her fingers to douse the Angelfire on her hand, Jeongyeon squinted her eyes at the question, especially at how Jihyo said the word ‘angel’, she made it sound lighter with her voice softening up at the end of her sentence. “You ask a lot of questions, don’t you, Jihyo?” Jeongyeon replies. Not a hint of hostility in her voice, just curiosity at the demon’s interest, and maybe a tinge of amusement as well.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had someone to talk to, might as well take full advantage of it.” Jihyo smiles a billion-watt smile that sends Jeongyeon’s chest feel light. Jeongyeon bites back a smile. She needs to stop smiling so much around Jihyo. “Okay. I’ll bite. I’ve been flying around for…” Her voice wavers when she traces back the time of her solitude. “I… I don’t really know. Thousands of years, I guess.”

Jihyo hums at her answer. “Forget I asked. I reckon it doesn’t matter.” Jeongyeon stares at her then at the campfire blankly, thinking if the time really doesn’t matter. “How did you get here?” Jeongyeon asks.

“Good question.” Jihyo smiles, thinking of her answer. “Well, I didn’t crash land like you did. I was flying around for like, I dunno, same time as you. Been to different places, but they all look the same. Then when I called it quits I found myself landing back here.” She sighs longingly at the memory. “Haven’t been here for a long time.”

Jihyo returns the angel’s question. “What about you? What brings you to Earth?” Jeongyeon furrows her eyebrows at Jihyo. “I… I prayed. For a reason about all this. There has to be a reason why I survived all this time. For the longest time, I was having a hard time flying, it was tiring to even summon my wings sometimes. It’s been a while since I’ve prayed. For a moment I even wavered but it was answered. I got my strength back, even if just a tiny bit and I flew to the stars. I’m sure the Lord put me here for a reason.”

Jihyo snickers. “Yeah, He sent you a sign via sending you crashing down here. Kinda poetic.” Jeongyeon sends her a small smile. “Kinda. Can I ask you a question?”

The sudden shift in the atmosphere was palpable, like Jihyo already knew what the question was, and Jeongyeon had to take a moment before asking this one question out of curiosity. “Where were you during the Great War?”

The silence lingers around them, the howling of the dry air and the rigid flickering of Hellfire in front of them the only sounds in the barren land. Jeongyeon gazes at the demon who hasn’t answered yet, seeing the smile on her lips drop to a blank flat line. With a short breath, Jihyo finally answers.

“I wasn’t in the War.”

There was a certain feeling that accompanied Jeongyeon’s shock that she can’t quite specify. She felt a little insulted, offended, and even a tinge of disgust at Jihyo’s answer.

“When the God of Destruction called the Hordes, you didn’t answer?” She says, unable to control the tone of her voice. The demon looks at her. “I did.” Jihyo answers with a shrug. “I was there when the troops were being rallied. I just didn’t take up arms. Didn’t join. Didn’t feel like I’d be of much use there, anway.”

“You didn’t fight in the War?” The angel asks, frustration seeping into her every word. “At all?”

Jihyo’s gaze shifts, now the confusion and hurt is plastered all over her face. “Why are you so worked up?”

“Because -” Jeongyeon doesn’t say it. But Jihyo finishes her thoughts either way. “Because you think I’m a coward, is that it?”

“No offense, angel,” The way Jihyo says the word angel is so sharp Jeongyeon can’t help but flinch at the retaliation. “But I don’t give a _fuck_ what you think of me. Call me what you want. Coward. Weak. I was just being practical. I can handle a few skirmishes here and there, sure. But I’m not cut out for an all out war against the Armies of Heaven.” She grabs a dried up branch from the ground and tosses it into the fire, attempting to feed it to make it grow stronger. It didn’t work. “Nope, I had to get out of there once the fighting broke out. Losing my life is the most impractical option there is.”

“What about me?” Jeongyeon says, her voice stern and cold like ice. “I fought. I fought hard in the War.” The demon nonchalantly replies. “I’m sure you did.”

“I fought and I lived.” Jeongyeon replies, to which Jihyo replies with a quick toss of a pebble at the feeble Hellfire. “Yeah, your dumb luck saved your ass plenty of times, I bet.”

“It’s not luck!” Jeongyeon says, her voice raised. But Jihyo interrupts her. “Then what is it? Fate? Providence? Divine intervention?” The demon asks with an eyebrow raised. Jeongyeon, still frustrated, thinks of an answer, but her head draws a blank at the moment. “Nah, angel. It’s just luck. Pure, dumb luck. Because if it was bigger than it really is, Jeongyeon, why are you the only angel left? If it was your God’s ‘Holy Plan’ then surely Heaven wouldn’t be such a shithole right now? You know how I know Heaven is as desolate as any piece of rock in space, Jeong, huh?” Jihyo raised her voice. “Because I’ve been there! If it was all providence then how the blazes did a lowly demon such as myself get into the pearly white gates that are not even pearly white anymore? If it was fate, your brothers and sisters in white would’ve won. That’s what your God promised you, right? Tsk. If it wasn’t luck, your precious God of Light would still be alive.”

“Don’t you dare say His name in vain.” Jeongyeon replies defensively, her tone getting sharper and colder. Jihyo responds by asking a question in a challenging tone. “Do you know why your God of Light is named that way?”

The angel doesn’t miss a beat. “He gave light to the known universe. He made everything His Light touches. He gave purpose for everything. His love is radiant and bright and pure. His Light is divine.”

“Okay, okay, I didn’t need a scripted sermon, that’s enou-” Jihyo says but is interrupted. “His Light promises the defeat of all evil. Including your God of Destruction.” Jeongyeon replies, her tone as hostile as when she first spoke with the demon. Demon only smirks devilishly. “Heh. God of Destruction. You ever wonder why He chose to stick with that name?”

“I reckon you haven’t wondered about anything at all. Foot soldiers like you don’t seem to have a brain of your own.” Jeongyeon quietly gasps at the insult, but the demon continues. “I’ll tell you. The God of Light did create everything in the known universe, yes, and created you angels to protect over His creation. But my God was curious about what your God made. He wanted to learn from His Maker, for Gods’ sakes.” Jihyo laughs at the last remark. “But apparently, He asked questions that your Lord deemed insulting, said He was questioning the very will of the creator himself. Your God banished Him, called Him a Betrayer, because He broke His laws and destroyed His own tethers to the God of Light’s will. Hence the title. He doesn’t even remember his own name before that but He didn’t care. He liked it. ‘Cause it fit His crusade. He was going to destroy every chain, every cage that bound us into serving your God blindly. He wanted us to think for ourselves. He was going to destroy your God’s tyrannical rule and set us free. That was his promise to us. He promised that to you angels, too. After all, He was one of you once. He reckoned you guys needed Him as well. He wanted a world free from someone else’s reign.”

Jeongyeon could only stare at Jihyo in disbelief, a thick silence weighing down on both of them. Even the Hellfire dwindled down to a quiet lull, now diminished to a small light similar to a candle.

“And He _died_.” After a deep breath, Jihyo continued with gritted teeth. “He fucking died. Nothing happened, He died, along with his promise. Your God did, too. In the end, none of them mattered. Your God was selfish and jealous, my God was reckless and naive. Heaven and Hell is as empty as our Gods’ promises, so stop deluding yourself.”

“You’re a coward.” Jeongyeon spitefully whispers, loud enough for Jihyo to hear. “Why would I listen to a mindless pawn like you?”

“Even a few of your brethren are braver than you.”

“Yeah, they are. They’re also stupid.”

“At least even then, they stood for something.”

“And look where that got them. Are they here? Are ANY of them here? Tell me, Jeongyeon, do you honestly think what they did - what any of them did- matters now?”

“What do you mean?” Jeongyeon asks hesitantly.

“If our Gods really meant it, your God’s promise of eternal life, and my God’s promise of everlasting free will, then where are they now?”

Jeongyeon couldn’t answer. Jihyo is standing up now, her nostrils flaring and blowing up smoke, her eyes are glowing crimson, and the aura she emits is hotter than the campfire in front of them. Jeongyeon stands up cautiously. Jihyo’s angry, and hostile.

“Neither of them are here. They’re dead. Their promises are dead. Heaven, Hell, all their armies, dead! This entire fucking universe is dead.” She kicks dust over the tiny Hellfire, dousing the fire instantly. The darkness engulfs them but they can still see each other’s anger clearly. “This piece of dirt is dead. Nothing matters anymore.”

“Or maybe you’re right!” The demon exclaims so loudly that Jeongyeon stood up. “Maybe there is a reason for the two of us surviving.” Jeongyeon clenches her fists, her senses heightened at the woman in front of her. Jihyo’s eyes are dangerously red now, blood red tears streaming down her face, her twisting horns now showing on her forehead. Her aura shifted into something dark, something dangerous. 

“Maybe fate brought us here for a reason, _angel_ ,” Jihyo says with so much venom and spite Jeongyeon couldn’t help but take another step back, “maybe the War isn’t really over.” She braces herself. Jihyo’s lost control of her emotion and now she’s fully hostile. Jihyo raises her right hand, snapping her fingers. Soon, both her hands are burning black and red, the Hellfire hotter and sharper than before. Jeongyeon steps back, snapping her fingers, setting her hands alight in bright Angelfire. She didn’t want to listen to Jihyo’s reckless rambling. But she can’t help but see the sense in what the demon just said.

“So what are you saying?” Jeongyeon warns. “It’s up to us to end it?”

“Yeah.” Jihyo says quietly, her voice barely audible from the erratic flickering of the Hellfire on her hands. “That might just be the reason.” The humming of Jeongyeon’s Angelfire grows louder, anticipating the demon’s next words, but she interrupts her.

Jeongyeon could only sigh before bracing for a fight. “So be it.”

Jihyo’s lips curve into a sinister smile. “So be it.”

The Hellfire in Jihyo’s hands growl louder, growing in strength and size. While Jeongyeon's fists glow on Angelfire, ready to strike. As if not letting the other think twice for an attack, they both raise their hands releasing the flames towards each other. The balls of Hellfire and Angelfire clashed in the middle, causing a massive shockwave to erupt. They braced for impact, but nothing came. Only a bright blast of light that made them flinch and close their eyes shut.

When they opened them again, Jihyo and Jeongyeon were stunned at what they saw; the fireballs fused, Hellfire and Angelfire swirling around and through each other as if in a dance, combining their contrasting colors to create something entirely different.

"Well," Jihyo whispered, "that's new." Jeongyeon carefully steps closer to the fire. “What is that?”

It is brighter than Angelfire - not the kind of brightness that sting Jihyo's eyes; it is welcoming and light. It's heat doesn't pinch Jeongyeon's skin, either; it is warm and soft and inviting. They both look at the wondrous light of the new kind of fire, the colors swirl and meld together, the Angelfire’s bright vibrant hues of white, blue, and green mixes with the Hellfire’s darker, more aggressive colors of red, orange and black.

"Beautiful." They say in unison. They look at each other for a moment, the light of the new fire reflecting on both their eyes. Beautiful, they both thought, but wondered if they’re still referring to the fire.

  
  
  


# Act III: Boon of the Omnifire

  
  
  


“Well, that’s something.” Jihyo mutters, unable to think of anything else to say. “That’s never happened before.” Jeongyeon says in disbelief, staring at the swirling colors of the new fire. "Angelfire and Hellfire have always repelled each other. I’ve never seen anything like this.” Jeongyeon has seen and felt firsthand the effects of Angelfire clashing with Hellfire, and the results are often catastrophic; exploding in mythical proportions that could atomize anything in the blast radius. But this little dancing light, Jeongyeon can’t help but step towards it and raise her hands, basking in the soft warmth of the fire. It feels so soft on her skin, so cozy and so light. She looks to her right and notices the demon doing the same.

A silence swirls around them, dancing with the light of the fire. Their thoughts are interrupted by a sound in their heads, a sound that soothes the back of their heads. Music, similar to piano keys playing slowly. Then a quiet voice whispered to them amongst the harmonious flow. It said only one word, and the two of them looked at each other’s eyes before saying it back.

“Omnifire.”

It felt biblical, hearing that voice confirm what they have just created in their midst. Jeongyeon felt the same peace she felt when she prayed to her God of Light, the voice having the same warmth and solace she hears from her Lord, but there was something different in the voice, something the angel has never felt before, a surge of emotion, a powerful tone that is bold and strong that shakes her bones. Jihyo, on the other hand, felt the same assurance and assertiveness she got when talking with her God of Destruction, the brashness and the resolution in His voice that she and the rest of her kind enjoyed. But at the same time, she felt that voice soothe her nerves, calm her screaming emotions down to a lullaby, a serenity she has not felt in a long, long time.

Before any of them could speak up, the fire lights up brighter than before, flashing erratically in front of the two of them. Moments pass, Jihyo and Jeongyeon focus their eyes on the ball of fire. Soon the flashes of light become more vivid, become more apparent. It’s showing them images, sceneries that some are familiar to the angel, while others to the demon. It was their memories, flashing right before their eyes as the Omnifire revealed both of their lives to each other, despite being in quick succession. The images slow down, the colors flowing smoothly like a calm river, showing the two of them one particular moment that Jeongyeon found really important.

“Is that…?” Jeongyeon walks closer to the ball of Omnifire, the memory swirling along its vibrant colors. She hears a voice, then multiple familiar voices, in a familiar setting. “Is that my first prayer?”

“Your what?” Jihyo asks.

“The first prayer I ever answered.”

Jihyo listens to the voices, the most prominent one being the voice of a girl, so small and fragile, almost drowning in the noise around her. Almost.

Jeongyeon reached out closer to the fire. “Her name was Seungyeon, and she was being bullied by her playmates in school. Later at night before bed, she knelt in her room and prayed. And I heeded her call.” Jihyo looks up to the angel, still somewhat entranced by the light, showing little Seungyeon kneeling in front of her bed, eyes closed, and hands clasped together. “What did you do?”

“Gave her strength.” Jeongyeon replies, watching the Omnifire show them an image of Jeongyeon flying down gently from above, hovering over Seungyeon who is sleeping peacefully in her bed. The angel bends over and kisses the child’s forehead, a faint glow of Angelfire caressing the child’s skin, an indication of a prayer answered. “Strength to overpower the words of those mean little kids. Strength to not resort to violence, upon them or herself. The next few days, she stood up for herself and almost got in a fight. Their teacher walked in just in time, and the kids were reprimanded, both by the principal and their parents. Seungyeon wasn’t bothered ever again.” Jeongyeon told the story with such fondness in her voice that Jihyo couldn’t help but swoon. The look on the angel’s face, Jihyo thought, was a marvel of beauty all on its own. Brighter than any fire, any star, she will ever see in the cosmos. Jeongyeon smiles, a lone tear escaping her right eye. “She grew up to be a teacher and lived a full life. I…welcomed her to Heaven in open arms.”

Jihyo smiles lightly, sensing the shift in Jeongyeon’s tone at the last sentence. She lets it go, for now. She finds it amusing to hear an Angel lie.

A moment of silence passes again, and the Omnifire shifts its colors aggressively, like crashing waves of a stormy sea, turning into dark blue, blood red, and shining bright emerald. The voices of Jeongyeon’s first prayer changes into a mumble, a whisper, and a wail. A man’s voice cries for help. Jihyo knows the scene all too well.

“Your memory, I take it?” Jeongyeon asks, to which Jihyo responds with a gulp. “Yep, My first deal.”

The Omnifire shows them images of an old, weary town, and a man pulling a small, empty wagon. The two of them pitied the man, and the Omnifire shifted as Jihyo told the story. “He’s name was Yoongi, a lowly merchant and his wares were ransacked. Without anything to sell he’ll starve and die. Like most of the poor that time, his family was stricken with the plague; his wife and daughter were gone just days after infection. With nothing else to lose, he made a deal with me. We met at an old crossroads surrounded by plains. He gave me everything he held dear; a parchment paper filled with written poetry by his wife, and a doll he once gave to his daughter.” They both look at the Omnifire showing Yoongi giving Jihyo a box that contained all his prized positions, kneeling and desperate. “His wish was rather vague, asking for anything to fill the void his dead family left him. He wanted to feel whole and full again. He wanted what the nobles and aristocrats have.”

Jeongyeon asks quietly. “What did he want?”

“More than what everybody else had. So I gave him the easiest answer to his problems; money. We shook hands and sealed the deal with a kiss, and his soul was mine. The day after, when he was scavenging for food by the riverside on the edge of town, he found a ruby the size of a tangerine.” He looked closer to the river, and lo and behold, there was a trail full of gems shining in the water. He followed it, picking each and every ruby and emerald and sapphire he can fit in his sorry excuse of a robe. At the end of a trail, was a ransacked wagon. Wheels broken, doors splintered open, and the rider dead. In the center of the wreckage, he saw a chest full of gems, similar to the ones he picked up in the river. A heavy chest, twice his size, with a letter embedded on its lid, saying the chest was a gift to the lord of the land.”

The glint in Jihyo’s eyes wavered, looking at the image of Yoongi desperately dragging the immense chest by himself. “That was my end of the bargain.”

“What did he do with it?” Jeongyeon asked, looking at the demon who’s swirling her fingers at the Omnifire, morphing the image but not dissipating it completely. “He took it and ran, of course. That concluded our deal. What he did after that was beyond me.”

“So you got his soul, then? When he died?”

“...Yep. That was the deal.”

Jeongyeon caught the flicker in Jihyo’s voice. That brief moment of hesitation. Why did the demon lie?

The Omnifire’s light stutters, the images of Jihyo’s first deal dissipating in the fire. Memories flashed at them again, until it slowed down to show a memory the angel held close to her heart. Jihyo could hear the unmistakable gasp that leaves Jeongyeon’s lips at the sight the Omnifire is showing them. It is a quiet scene, a wide open park with scattered trees, a few people walking around, and in the center is a lake, with a nearby pathway littered with benches. In one of the benches, the one nearest to the body of water, sits an elderly woman, holding a paper bag and throwing its contents to the ground. Jihyo squints and soon realizes the elderly woman is throwing pieces of bread, as she sees a flock of ducks flying towards the spot where the bread landed.

“Well, that’s a chill lady.” Jihyo notes, watching the woman smile tenderly at her feathered friends near her feet. “Another memory of yours, Jeong?”

“Yeah.” The angel replies. “How does this fire even have our memories?”

“Well, it is from Hellfire and Angelfire…” Jihyo answers. “Our fires are connected to our souls, memories are also connected to our souls so.... Simple math, I guess.”

“I guess.” Is all Jeongyeon could say, watching the old woman fondly.

“Who’s the lady?” The demon asks. “A friend of yours?”

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon says quietly. “It’s her last day on Earth.”

“Her last day?”

“Yeah. I was the one sending her to Heaven.” Jeongyeon says, remembering that particular memory in her own mind. Then, Jihyo sees Jeongyeon’s frame enter the scene in the Omnifire, in her human form, wearing the same outfit as she is now, walking by the old woman and joining her in sitting down on the bench. “That’s all we did. That was her request. Feeding ducks in the park was her favorite pastime. And of course, I couldn’t resist her. She’s one of the nicest souls I’ve delivered to Heaven.” Jeongyeon says, her voice soothing at the memory. Jihyo watches her and then the scene in the fire, watching the angel talk with the woman, having a few laughs here and there that the demon found endearing. “That’s adorable.”

“Thanks.” Jeongyeon says, hiding the slight blush creeping to her cheeks. “I think it’s perfect for my last memory on Earth.”

“Your what?” Jihyo asks with a concerned tone.

“You know, last memory on Earth before the War.” Jeongyeon answers, to which Jihyo replies with a quiet “oh”. A quiet awkwardness flows in the dead air in their conversation, and Jeongyeon can’t deal with the silence at the moment so she fakes a cough before asking the demon. “So what’s, uh, what’s your last memory of Earth?"

As if answering her question, the Omnifire shifts once more, the colors bold and bright. The images change, showing the two of them a bustling city, streets filled with people and towering buildings filled with bright and showy lights. Jihyo can’t help but let out a quiet laugh at the scene. “Oh, man.” She giggles. “New York.”

They watch as the Omnifire focuses on a figure that Jeongyeon soon recognized to be Jihyo, walking two other figures, a man and a woman, both holding bottles in each hand. “That was New Year’s Eve.” Jihyo says lightly, the angel intently listening. “It was the best night of my life. We were just… living in the moment. I was with my crew, closest friends of demons and mortal creatures alike. We all knew who we were, what we were, and there was no judgement. No prejudice. Just us, good food, good booze, good company, having the time of our lives. It was the best.”

The angel can’t help but smile at her, staring at the features of Jihyo’s face that seems to blend beautifully with the light reflected from the fire. Feeling a tinge of warmth creeping to her cheeks, Jeongyeon turns her attention back to the scene shown by the fire. They look at the scene of Jihyo and her two friends, the woman now revealed to be a normal human and the man now revealed to be a satyr. They enter a room filled with more people, locking the door before walking to the lone bed in the center.

“Wow, that’s a lot of people. What did you do on New Year’s Eve, Jihyo?” Jeongyeon asks, curiosity charging her tone.

Jihyo smirks. “You’ll see.”

Soon, heat rises up to Jeongeon’s entire face, and not from the warmth of the Omnifire but rather from the scene she is currently witnessing. “Woah-kay!” Jeongyeon exclaims awkwardly, snapping her head away from the Omnifire showing Jihyo’s memory, revealing her naked with what seemed to be twenty other people. “Wow, okay prude.” Jihyo laughs at the angel covering her eyes. “Come on, you’re missing the highlight of my last memory on Earth!”

“N-no, I’m good, thank you!” Jeongyeon bites her tongue at the stutter.

“Come on, Jeong, don’t be shy.” Jihyo teases with a sultry tone. “You might learn a thing or twenty.”

“Wait, don’t tell me you haven’t…?” The demon asks, the teasing tone still alive. “Oh, I have!” Jeongyeon answers quickly, too quickly for her taste. “Just not with… you know, not with that many.”

Jihyo laughs loudly at the shy angel, her voice booming around them, presumably all over Earth. Jeongyeon is still covering her eyes, not risking to take a peek at the scene of the demon’s memory. Good thing the Omnifire has a rather low volume. But the angel can’t help but smile and laugh as well. The loud kind of laugh that she hasn’t done in a long time, from a feeling she hasn’t felt for far longer. Jeongyeon asks the Omnifire meekly. “Uhm, little fire, can you please show us something else?”

Soon the images slow down to a stop, and the Omnifire returns to just a little fire dancing with its wide array of vivid colors. Soon their laughter dies down as well, the two of them taking a moment to look at each other with warm eyes. Instead of showing them a different scene of either of their memories, the Omnifire begins to slowly swirl around itself, harmonious sounds resonating from its waves of light. It was playing music. It was soothing and calm and beautiful. An awkward silence engulfs them as Jeongyeon watches Jihyo retreat to her spot, sitting on the large rock and staring back at the dancing fire, her head deep in thought.

With a deep breath to gather courage, Jihyo breaks the silence. “You didn’t really deliver Seungyeon’s soul to Heaven, didn’t you?” Jeongyeon replies, her tone defensive due to the unexpected question. The angel could see the slight flinch in the demon’s face. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry I wasn’t implying -”

“No, it’s okay.”

“I’m sorry.” Jihyo insists.

“Seriously, Jihyo, it’s oka -”

“No, Jeongyeon, it’s not.” Jihyo punctuates with a tone that is stern yet genuinely apologetic. “I’m sorry. For the rage episode earlier, and trying to start a fight to the death. It was killing me, the confusion, the seeming pointlessness of it all. The War solved nothing, it didn’t even prove anything, and being isolated for eons…” Jihyo paused, swallowing down a sob. “It was breaking me. But then you came, and I should’ve assumed it was breaking you, too. Being alone all this time.”

“Then we made this fire,” Jihyo gestures at the Omnifire, which plays a happy little note in response, “and I thought...maybe it’s not the end after all.” Jihyo looks down on her feet, feeling the weight of guilt and shame from her earlier actions, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Hey,” Jeongyeon says soothingly, “apology accepted. And I have forgiven you right off the bat, really. It’s in my nature. You know, being an Angel and all.” Jihyo sniffles quietly before looking back up at her. “And I’m sorry, too,” the angel continues, “that I called you a coward.”

“I was, though.” Jihyo admits. “Well, maybe you were. Or not.” Jeongyeon replies, her voice calm and genuine. “You did what you thought was best for you. I didn’t have to judge you so harshly like that. I didn’t know how you lived your life or what it was like in your shoes.”

“I’m sorry for calling you brainless.” The demon apologizes. “In a way, I am.” Jeongyeon laughs. “I was such a blind follower of my Lord that I dare not think of anything else, even if the anomalies were there. I just thought God has a plan for me, for all of us, that worrying about the how’s and why’s is just a waste. Then the War happened, and nothing went according to His plan. It shook me. Because all this time, I thought He was absolute, all He says is truth and then this happens and…” Jeongyeon pauses with a heavy sigh. “I felt truly lost after that. All this time to wonder about the universe and no one to answer me.”

“And you were right, I didn’t deliver Seungyeon’s soul.” Jeongyeon admits. “I lied about that. She didn’t get to Heaven.” Jihyo sits up straight in surprise. “What? Why not?”

The angel takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of the memory crush her mind. As a plea for help, Jeongyeon looks at the Omnifire, and the fire obliges as it flickers again showing scenes of her memories. The fire shows a fifty year old Seungyeon, now Headmistress of a top-notch, all-girls Catholic school. Jihyo focuses on the fire, watching as Seungyeon is sitted on her big leather chair in the middle of her wide office, a clean mahogany table in front of her with piles of documents and files neatly organized on it. “Wow, she really did well for herself, huh.” The demon said. Jeongyeon replies with a flat tone and a blank stare. “Just watch.”

Soon the fire shows them the door of Seungyeon’s office being broken down and four police officers enter the room. Watching in shock, Jihyo sees the old woman being cuffed and grabbed by the arms, one of the officers telling her their standard procedure of their arrest. Jeongyeon watches with a demeanor that could only mean pain, tears quietly building up in her eyes. She closes it shut and exhales. “That’s enough, thank you.”

The Omnifire stops the images suddenly, as if feeling the same pain the angel is feeling, shifting to play a light, tender music to help soothe any reopened emotional wounds. “When I answered her prayer when she was little, I gave her strength.” Jihyo listened, a concerned look on her face as Jeongyeon began. “Oh, she got strength alright. To the point where she manipulated her way to the top and became a strongwoman when she got the highest job in the school. She abused her power, she hurt faculty members, she tortured children…” Jeongyeon’s voice breaks, tears flowing from her eyes. “God, the pain I felt when I saw how many were buried in the very playground she built behind the school…” Jihyo watches her companion sadly.

“She went to Hell, of course.” Jeongyeon continues. “She was executed two years after her arrest. Her soul was dragged to the pits of Hell. I watched her go down, pained and confused because… I don’t know what the fuck just happened to her.”

Jihyo did not expect the swearing, it only amplified the hurt Jeongyeon feels. “It made me question my capabilities as an angel. Did I fail? Did I fail her? Didn’t I give her the right answer to her prayer? Did I fail Him because she sinned so much that it was unforgivable? It was the first time I ever wavered in my duties. But instead of asking about it, I buried it deep down and continued.”

“I’m sorry.” Jihyo whispered, and Jeongyeon replied with a smile. “Thank you.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t get Yoongi’s soul either.” Jihyo says, Jeongyeon lightly giggles. “Yeah, I sensed the lie in your words earlier. What happened to him?”

The Omnifire shifts once more, showing them old man Yoongi dragging the chest of treasure away from the riverbanks and into the town square. He was yelling at everyone who could hear him, asking for help. “When I left him the gem trail in the river, I watched him if he would take it and run. He took the chest, alright.” Jihyo starts. “But he… he returned them to the lord of the land.”

Jeongyeon widens her eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She continues. “He went to the castle, returned the chest to the king. The king was a kind man, so he asked Yoongi what he’d like as a reward. Without missing a beat, Yoongi said he just wants a new wagon and new wares to sell. He was such a nice man. The king, touched by his actions, instead gave him more than a wagon. Gave him his own house in a patch of farmland so he could tend to crops, told Yoongi he could sell it or not. Either way it’s his.” They both look at the Omnifire, showing Yoongi, now older as time passed, sitting by the porch of his house overlooking a wide patch of green land filled with crops, ready for the pickings.

“Wow.” The angel quietly exclaims. “Yeah. Years went by, Yoongi flourished in his farm, and didn't sell anything. He gave what he could to the king and townsfolk, for free. Everyone loved him. In the end, he died a happy, and content man and, I didn’t have the guts to take his soul. When his time came, an angel went for him and I just… walked away.”

Jeongyeon looks at Jihyo as she stares at the Omnifire, showing the old man take the angel’s hand with the most peaceful smile in his face. “It confused me. I was new to the craft but I knew deep down I should’ve taken his soul, right? That was the deal. And I’m a demon, for Hell’s sake, I should take what I want no matter what. But at the moment, watching that man live his life, it got me thinking with all this prophecy and War and the God of Destruction’s promise of fighting for free will. Is it really needed? I get it, you could say his deal with me was the kickstart to his improved life. But I did not influence his actions after I gave him the chest. At all. I didn’t tempt him on anything. He decided what to do with it on his own. If a single mortal like Yoongi can already live like that, aren’t they already free? And if they’re already free, then isn’t the Great War and all the prophecies redundant?”

“It’s these random blips in a system built way before us that confuses me.” Jihyo continues. “Then the War came, like promised, then it ended in the way no one could’ve predicted. It questions all the things you’ve known. If promises from the highest of the high aren’t even kept, does anything matter? And isolation won’t answer the questions rattling in my mind.”

“I see.” Jeongyeon says. “It’s like we’re just confused interns in a bankrupt company.” To which demon laughs lightly. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Are we okay?” The demon asks, her voice so small but filled with genuine care. Jeongyeon smiled. “Yes, we’re okay.”

Jihyo smiles that bright, starlight smile that melts Jeongyeon every time. She stands up, patting dust from her grey worn out pants. “Because I don’t want bad blood with my only companion. If we’re gonna stay together for a while,” she then points at the twirling Omnifire, “and figure out what else that fire does, I prefer a clear air between us. A clean slate.”

Jeongyeon smiles and stands up as well. “A fresh start?”

“Yes!” Jihyo walks towards the angel, and Jeongyeon meets her halfway. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve made a friend.” Jihyo says. The angel’s smile never leaves as she replies. “Same here.”

“Here’s to our friendship, bright and born from the ashes of a dead universe. May the fire guide us to… wherever we go!” Jihyo laughs, raising her right hand to initiate a handshake, waiting for Jeongyeon’s response. “Here’s to us!” The angel says. “Unexpected survivors from the War’s unexpected outcome! May the Omnifire lead us to our fate.”

Their hands meet in the middle as they attempt a handshake, and at the moment they touch, their hands ignite in flames; both of Angelfire and Hellfire. The flames swirl around their still clasped hands, Jeongyeon’s smooth and bright Angelfire chasing the crackling Hellfire from Jihyo’s hand. It is shocking to see the two flames grow bigger as it forms a swirling ring around them. The Omnifire beside them reacting as well, flowing and twisting frantically, affected by the phenomenon. Despite the intensity of the sudden phenomenon, Jihyo and Jeongyeon still haven’t let go of each other, hands still clasped tightly together, no intent of release any time soon. Amidst the flow, the two Fires begin to meld with each other, the vibrant Angelfire colors blending with the Hellfire’s aggressive hues. Like a raging river meeting a soothing sea, the fires turbulently mix with each other. The ball of Omnifire joins in the crackling rings of fire, and the bigger flames flash memories of their pasts in quick, random succession. The vividness of it all triggers the two of them, but at the same time fills them with a surge of energy they haven’t felt in a long time. Finally, in eons, they show their true forms. Jeongyeon sprouts her bright angel wings, and her shining halo behind her head, both fuelled by surging Angelfire. Jihyo’s wings burst from her back, engulfing the air in raging Hellfire, her horns forming in its full glory, long and twisting and serrated. On the tip of her back bone, springs out her forked tail, the tips igniting in small orbs of Hellfire. The demon's blood red eyes stare at the angel’s icy blue eyes and their hold on each other’s hands grow tighter. 

The swirling rings of flames around them spin quicker, now becoming one as Hellfire fuses with Angelfire. Soon, the giant ring expands, surrounding them completely as it turns into a sphere of Omnifire. The Omnifire sphere begins to contract, growing smaller around Jeongyeon and Jihyo, causing them to step towards each other out of instinct. The sphere spins faster and faster as it grows smaller, forcing the angel and demon to huddle together, all their hands now holding each other, wings embracing one another as a form of defense. They hold each other close, eyes closed tight, bracing for what is to come as the Omnifire engulfs them both in its flames.

The feeling was indescribable for the both of them, as they felt the Omnifire seep into their bodies, engulfing them with its radiant energies. Fuelling their powers to mythical proportions, the two of them send a shockwave of pure Omnifire. They let go of each other, and as they open their eyes, they look at each other in awe. Jihyo sees Jeongyeon in her full angelic glory; but this time she knows that Jeongyeon’s Angelfire is replaced with Omnifire, her eyes now showcasing all the colors of the spectrum, all the hues that Jihyo could name and see. Her halo brighter than ever, spinning in a soothing speed, shining like a bright rainbow behind Jeongyeon’s head. Not to mention Jeongyeon’s wings, Jihyo thought, how they not only grew in size and brightness but also multiplied, the angel’s now six vibrant wings spread wide, ephemeral in the demon’s gaze.

Despite still in her all black outfit, Jeongyeon has never looked more majestic and beautiful as she does now. Full of grace and vibrancy, Jeongyeon stood tall, her entire exalted being now full of Omnifire.

As for Jeongyeon, the view of Jihyo in her full demon magnificence rendered her speechless. The scorching Hellfire now replaced with the blazing glory of the Omnifire. Her horns multiplied around her head, now forming a natural obsidian crown. Her dragon-like wings grew in size, and multiplied to six, just like her own, spreading it wide, relishing the feeling of finally freeing her tired wings. Still wearing her old crossroads demon business attire, Jihyo still looked as gorgeous and striking in Jeongyeon’s eyes, if not even more so than before. The aura Jihyo radiates feels sublime, making Jeongyeon feel brave and strong.

Beyond the change in their physical form, the angel and the demon could also feel the changes the Omnifire did to their souls. All their memories, all their stories, and all their experience, are now shared between the two of them. They have connected all their thoughts and emotions together, and in doing so, they understand each other wholly. Every free thought Jihyo had, Jeongyeon understood. Every faithful prayer Jeongyeon did, Jihyo felt. They look at each other with loving eyes, realizing that they now share the same energy, and they look around to feel warmth all over.

All around them they see millions upon millions of floating orbs of Omnifire, born from the shockwave they have created earlier, illuminating the entire Earth and filling it with music. They watch as the orbs of Omnifire float and flitter away, flying in all directions all across the dead Earth, coloring the dark blue horizon entirely with brimming radiance. Some of the Omnifire orbs shoot up to the sky and into space, the orbs travelling far distances all across the cosmos, each orb entering the cores of dead stars igniting it with its new fire. Soon all stars are waking up, one by one reignited with bright Omnifire, the universe regaining all its colors in the sky. Jeongyeon and Jihyo look up in awe, seeing the return of the vivid and distinct star systems in the once again shining Milky Way galaxy. The Sun shining bright on their faces as they bask in its warmth, happy smiles plastered all over their faces.

“I understand now.” Jihyo says. “Why the War ended the way it did.”

“It’s not just blind faith. It’s not just free either. It’s not one or the other.” The demon says, lifting her hand up to Jeongyeon. “It’s both, together. Creating something out of the two, starting over again. A new beginning.”

“Learn from their mistakes, and adapt from our flaws.” The angel says, taking Jihyo’s open hand in her own as she enjoys the warm light and the soothing music around them. “Adapt the lessons we’ve learned along the way. A universal evolution.”

“Synthesis.” They say in unison. Their unified voices, breathing fire and light to more orbs of Omnifire, shooting up to the sky and into the horizon. The orb of Omnifire, the very first one they’ve made, reforms itself in front of them. They smile at it, and it plays a happy song in reply. Soon, the orb sinks into the earth, burrowing itself into the dry land. Moments later, the ground shifts in color, from a dry, dead gray to a cool, soft brown. A little plant sprouts from where the Omnifire orb burrowed, quickly blooming into a tree. Soon, more and more orbs followed suit, burrowing themselves into the new reborn Earth’s wet, lively soil. Quickly enough, the brown color of the earth turns into a beautiful lush green, various plants, trees and shrubberies emerge from the ground. The angel and demon laugh and smile as they spin around, looking at the ground beneath their feet, following the growth spiral everywhere as their eyes follow the coils of nature breathe new life to the planet. Jeongyeon has never felt more blessed, and Jihyo has never felt more free. They’ve never felt more alive than at this very moment.

“What do you want to do now?” Jihyo asks, the biggest most loving smile on her face. Jeongyeon squeezes her hand full of warmth and love, looking deep into her partner’s eyes before turning into the now beautifully bright horizon of their new Eden, watching the birth of a new forever unfold. “Well, it’s you, me, and a rekindled universe.

Nothing is impossible.”

  
  



End file.
